The Host
Earth is no longer controlled by humans. It has been taken over by a race of aliens called souls. Humans have been hunted to near extinction, and those surviving have been driven into hiding. When a soul called Wanderer is inserted into a human body, she, quite literally, becomes human. She has the same needs, wants, and emotions as any human - and so does her body. The previous inhabitant of Wanderer's body, Melanie, is still alive. She didn't fade away when Wanderer was inserted into her body, and now, she speaks to Wanderer in her mind. Wanderer spends most of her time trying to subdue Melanie, but finds it difficult to say the least. Wanderer has seen all of Melanie's memories, including the ones of Jared, the man Melanie loved, and Jamie, Melanie's younger brother that she had taken care of since the beginning of the invasion. When Wanderer sees these two in the light that Melanie sees them in, she can't help but to share her feelings for them, almost maternal towards Jamie, and something else towards Jared, something Wanderer can't really describe. Eventually, Wanderer and Melanie come to a sort of truce, and decide to leave their home in San Diego and go to the Arizona desert to try and find Jared and Jamie, following a "map" that Melanie's Uncle Jeb showed her before the invasion. When the "map" leads them on a dangerous trek across the desert, the result is a near miss with death. Just then, Wanderer and Melanie are found by Uncle Jeb, who brings them to his home, a cave system inhabited by almost thirty humans. For the first time, Wanderer has to hide information from Melanie, because this was the first time she thought of it. The humans are afraid of Wanderer, and do their best to make her leave. At the same time, Wanderer knows there's nothing she can do to harm the humans, and is terrified of them. Especially Jared, who is furious at Wanderer, who took Melanie's body. Soon, things calm down, and Wanderer reveals that Melanie is still alive, and locked inside her head. Over the next few months, Wanderer becomes part of the human society. They become used to her presence in the caves, and she learns that humans can be much more than brutal killing machines, as she had previously thought. This is mostly thanks to Ian, a human, who is more than a friend to Wanderer, and Jamie, who immediately accepted her, even though she took his sister from him, which she feels very guilty about. Even Jared comes around eventually. She essentially became human, and truly began to love the humans in the caves. Wanderer also became much closer to Mel - she now sees her as a sister, instead of an enemy. However, as Wanderer the soul is living under the same roof, the humans are desperately trying to save themselves. They are trying to remove the souls from the human bodies, and are killing both in the process. When Wanderer finds out, she is beyond horrified. She basically goes into shock for about three days. She eventually comes to her senses, but now, she has to make a choice. She needs to decide whether to share the information she's been hiding from everyone, even Mel, or to keep it a secret. The secret would give the humans a way to kill souls with impunity, if used that way, but if it remains unknown, more of both races will die. Wanderer needs to decide. If she tells the secret, it will save her beloved humans, even Mel. However, to save Mel, Wanderer can't stay. As soon as the choice is necessary, the decision becomes obvious. After all, what soul can live at the expense of one they loved?
Wanderer (Wanda): Wanderer is a soul, which means that she lives by being inserted into another body, and and experiencing life through it. She has previously lived on eight planets, with Earth being her ninth. Being a soul, she is essentially all of the good things about humanity - kind, loving, gentle, and thoughtful. However, there are times when her body surprises her, becoming angry and violent. The emotions in a human body often overwhelm her, and she is often horrified by the things her body does when she loses control. When Wanderer loses control of her body, it happens in a very literal sense - Melanie can take control of her and Wanderer's shared body. Wanderer resents the fact that Melanie is still alive, and that she can't be a normal soul because of her. When Melanie shows Wanderer memories of Jared and Jamie, she begins to love them, just as Melanie did. This love spreads to more humans when Wanda becomes part of the human society. She feels sympathetic towards the entire human race, because to her, Earth has been the best planet she's ever lived on, and she feels awful about taking it away from the humans. This leads her to realize that she needs to make a choice, whether to turn traitor against the souls and help the humans she loves, or to keep the information to herself and let the human race slowly become extinct.
Melanie Stryder: Melanie is a human, and is locked away in Wanderer's head. She is very bitter towards Wanderer, because she has basically taken everything she cares about. Melanie and Wanderer are basically two minds in one body, or rather, two consciousnesses in one mind. They see the world very differently, and it's hard for Mel, because Wanderer always gets the final say. Mel is ecstatic when she convinces Wanderer to leave the souls' society and try to find the humans. She knows that at least one member of her family is there, and is hopeful about two others, Jamie and Jared. Melanie is furious that her feelings towards Jared also apply to Wanderer, especially since she can't do much about it. The only thing she can do is let Wanderer know how she feels, and hope for the best. Mel and Wanda eventually come to a sort of truce. They have truly become sisters, more so than most blood relatives could ever be. They always know exactly how the other feels, and have to cooperate constantly. When Wanderer makes her big decision, Melanie tries to persuade her not to sacrifice herself for her. Even though it would benefit her more than anyone else, Mel does her best to keep Wanderer around, even if it means living as a prisoner for the rest of their life.
Jamie Stryder: Jamie is Melanie's younger brother, and has looked to her for protection ever since their parents were captured by the souls. When they meet Jared and begin to travel with him, Jamie looks up to him as much as Mel. After Melanie is captured by the souls, Jamie and Jared find Jeb and his group of humans in the caves. Jamie is easily one of the most accepting people in the caves, because when Wanderer arrives in the caves, he is the first one to actually like her for who she is. Even though she came in his sister's body, carrying his sister trapped in her head, Jamie immediately accepts her. He doesn't hold Wanderer responsible for taking his sister away from him, because in his eyes, she's already there. Jamie is very glad that Wanda brought his sister back to him, and is also glad that Wanda is there, simply because she's his friend.
Jared Howe:Jared is one of the last ones to accept Wanderer, because he's so angry that she stole Melanie from him. When Wanderer and Melanie arrive in the caves, Jared wants to kill Wanda, because he's so upset about Melanie being captured. What he doesn't know is that Melanie is still alive in Wanderer's head. When he first finds out that's Mel's still alive, he doesn't believe it, and thinks Wanderer is only trying to save herself. He eventually is convinced that they are telling the truth, and becomes Wanda's friend. When Wanderer tells him about her plan, Jared becomes one of her greatest allies, because he wants Melanie back so badly. What he doesn't tell Wanda is that he also has a plan, one that will let them both live.
Ian O'Shea:Ian is one of Wanda's best friends in the caves, and is much more than a friend. He is the most compassionate person in the caves, almost like a soul. Mel, however, doesn't like him at all. She sees what Wanda doesn't, and knows that he's beginning to fall in love with Wanderer. Wanda eventually realizes that she feels the same way towards him, even though it is so hard in Melanie's body. When Ian finds out what Wanda is planning to do, he does everything he can to stop her, but doesn't succeed. Ian helps Jared with his idea, and ends up able to stay with Wanda.
Earth is no longer controlled by humans. It has been taken over by a race of aliens called souls. Humans have been hunted to near extinction, and those surviving have been driven into hiding. When a soul called Wanderer is inserted into a human body, she, quite literally, becomes human. She has the same needs, wants, and emotions as any human - and so does her body. The previous inhabitant of Wanderer's body, Melanie, is still alive. She didn't fade away when Wanderer was inserted into her body, and now, she speaks to Wanderer in her mind. Wanderer spends most of her time trying to subdue Melanie, but finds it difficult to say the least. Wanderer has seen all of Melanie's memories, including the ones of Jared, the man Melanie loved, and Jamie, Melanie's younger brother that she had taken care of since the beginning of the invasion. When Wanderer sees these two in the light that Melanie sees them in, she can't help but to share her feelings for them, almost maternal towards Jamie, and something else towards Jared, something Wanderer can't really describe. Eventually, Wanderer and Melanie come to a sort of truce, and decide to leave their home in San Diego and go to the Arizona desert to try and find Jared and Jamie, following a "map" that Melanie's Uncle Jeb showed her before the invasion. When the "map" leads them on a dangerous trek across the desert, the result is a near miss with death. Just then, Wanderer and Melanie are found by Uncle Jeb, who brings them to his home, a cave system inhabited by almost thirty humans. For the first time, Wanderer has to hide information from Melanie, because this was the first time she thought of it. The humans are afraid of Wanderer, and do their best to make her leave. At the same time, Wanderer knows there's nothing she can do to harm the humans, and is terrified of them. Especially Jared, who is furious at Wanderer, who took Melanie's body. Soon, things calm down, and Wanderer reveals that Melanie is still alive, and locked inside her head. Over the next few months, Wanderer becomes part of the human society. They become used to her presence in the caves, and she learns that humans can be much more than brutal killing machines, as she had previously thought. This is mostly thanks to Ian, a human, who is more than a friend to Wanderer, and Jamie, who immediately accepted her, even though she took his sister from him, which she feels very guilty about. Even Jared comes around eventually. She essentially became human, and truly began to love the humans in the caves. Wanderer also became much closer to Mel - she now sees her as a sister, instead of an enemy. However, as Wanderer the soul is living under the same roof, the humans are desperately trying to save themselves. They are trying to remove the souls from the human bodies, and are killing both in the process. When Wanderer finds out, she is beyond horrified. She basically goes into shock for about three days. She eventually comes to her senses, but now, she has to make a choice. She needs to decide whether to share the information she's been hiding from everyone, even Mel, or to keep it a secret. The secret would give the humans a way to kill souls with impunity, if used that way, but if it remains unknown, more of both races will die. Wanderer needs to decide. If she tells the secret, it will save her beloved humans, even Mel. However, to save Mel, Wanderer can't stay. As soon as the choice is necessary, the decision becomes obvious. After all, what soul can live at the expense of one they loved?
Wanderer (Wanda): Wanderer is a soul, which means that she lives by being inserted into another body, and and experiencing life through it. She has previously lived on eight planets, with Earth being her ninth. Being a soul, she is essentially all of the good things about humanity - kind, loving, gentle, and thoughtful. However, there are times when her body surprises her, becoming angry and violent. The emotions in a human body often overwhelm her, and she is often horrified by the things her body does when she loses control. When Wanderer loses control of her body, it happens in a very literal sense - Melanie can take control of her and Wanderer's shared body. Wanderer resents the fact that Melanie is still alive, and that she can't be a normal soul because of her. When Melanie shows Wanderer memories of Jared and Jamie, she begins to love them, just as Melanie did. This love spreads to more humans when Wanda becomes part of the human society. She feels sympathetic towards the entire human race, because to her, Earth has been the best planet she's ever lived on, and she feels awful about taking it away from the humans. This leads her to realize that she needs to make a choice, whether to turn traitor against the souls and help the humans she loves, or to keep the information to herself and let the human race slowly become extinct.
Melanie Stryder: Melanie is a human, and is locked away in Wanderer's head. She is very bitter towards Wanderer, because she has basically taken everything she cares about. Melanie and Wanderer are basically two minds in one body, or rather, two consciousnesses in one mind. They see the world very differently, and it's hard for Mel, because Wanderer always gets the final say. Mel is ecstatic when she convinces Wanderer to leave the souls' society and try to find the humans. She knows that at least one member of her family is there, and is hopeful about two others, Jamie and Jared. Melanie is furious that her feelings towards Jared also apply to Wanderer, especially since she can't do much about it. The only thing she can do is let Wanderer know how she feels, and hope for the best. Mel and Wanda eventually come to a sort of truce. They have truly become sisters, more so than most blood relatives could ever be. They always know exactly how the other feels, and have to cooperate constantly. When Wanderer makes her big decision, Melanie tries to persuade her not to sacrifice herself for her. Even though it would benefit her more than anyone else, Mel does her best to keep Wanderer around, even if it means living as a prisoner for the rest of their life.
Jamie Stryder: Jamie is Melanie's younger brother, and has looked to her for protection ever since their parents were captured by the souls. When they meet Jared and begin to travel with him, Jamie looks up to him as much as Mel. After Melanie is captured by the souls, Jamie and Jared find Jeb and his group of humans in the caves. Jamie is easily one of the most accepting people in the caves, because when Wanderer arrives in the caves, he is the first one to actually like her for who she is. Even though she came in his sister's body, carrying his sister trapped in her head, Jamie immediately accepts her. He doesn't hold Wanderer responsible for taking his sister away from him, because in his eyes, she's already there. Jamie is very glad that Wanda brought his sister back to him, and is also glad that Wanda is there, simply because she's his friend.
Jared Howe: Jared is one of the last ones to accept Wanderer, because he's so angry that she stole Melanie from him. When Wanderer and Melanie arrive in the caves, Jared wants to kill Wanda, because he's so upset about Melanie being captured. What he doesn't know is that Melanie is still alive in Wanderer's head. When he first finds out that's Mel's still alive, he doesn't believe it, and thinks Wanderer is only trying to save herself. He eventually is convinced that they are telling the truth, and becomes Wanda's friend. When Wanderer tells him about her plan, Jared becomes one of her greatest allies, because he wants Melanie back so badly. What he doesn't tell Wanda is that he also has a plan, one that will let them both live.
Ian O'Shea: Ian is one of Wanda's best friends in the caves, and is much more than a friend. He is the most compassionate person in the caves, almost like a soul. Mel, however, doesn't like him at all. She sees what Wanda doesn't, and knows that he's beginning to fall in love with Wanderer. Wanda eventually realizes that she feels the same way towards him, even though it is so hard in Melanie's body. When Ian finds out what Wanda is planning to do, he does everything he can to stop her, but doesn't succeed. Ian helps Jared with his idea, and ends up able to stay with Wanda.
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